ATLANTA — The leaders of two of Georgia’s biggest corporations said Wednesday they staunchly opposed the state’s sweeping elections restrictions, reversing weeks of milder statements about the far-ranging new law pushed through the Legislature by Republican lawmakers.
Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Ed Bastian said in a memo to employees that the law was “unacceptable” and “based on a lie” of widespread fraud in last November’s election. Hours later, Coca-Cola’s CEO also pronounced the measure “unacceptable.”
The sharply worded statements came as Georgia companies face growing threats of boycotts from voting rights advocates who say local corporations should have done more to oppose the Republican-backed legislation before it was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp last week.
It also triggered threats of backlash from Republican legislators who embraced the contentious election overhaul as a necessary measure to restore confidence. Kemp and other GOP leaders say they were caught off guard by the opposition, and some talked of punishing the airline during the final, frenzied day of the legislative session on Wednesday.
In the memo, Bastian said the new voting restrictions will make it harder for underrepresented voters, particularly Black voters, to exercise their constitutional right to elect representatives in the state.
“I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Delta’s values,” Bastian wrote.
James Quincey, Coca-Cola’s chief executive, appeared on CNBC later Wednesday to call the legislation “wrong” and urge lawmakers to revisit it.
“This legislation is unacceptable. It’s a step backwards and it does not promote principles we have stood for in Georgia around broad access to voting, around voter convenience, about ensuring election integrity,” said Quincey.
Kemp said he was blindsided by Delta’s position, saying that at “no point” did the airline raise objections with his office about some of the controversial provisions in the measure before he signed it into law.
“Today’s statement by Delta CEO Ed Bastian stands in stark contrast to our conversations with the company, ignores the content of the new law, and unfortunately continues to spread the same false attacks being repeated by partisan activists,” said the first-term Republican.
Kemp later also appeared later on CNBC to respond more broadly to corporate opposition.
“I would encourage these CEOs to look at other states they’re doing business in and compare the facts to what’s happening in Georgia,” he said, adding, “If they want to have a debate about the merits, the facts, of the bill then we should do that.”
The state’s far-ranging new election law includes a new ID requirement for mail-in votes, curbs the use of ballot drop boxes and gives the Republican-controlled Legislature more power over local elections officials. It also bans volunteers from handing out food and water to voters waiting in lines.
Kemp and other supporters say the overhaul will increase confidence in Georgia’s voting system after then-President Donald Trump falsely claimed he had won the election. Election officials, including Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, say there’s no evidence of widespread fraud. Multiple recounts verified the results, and legal challenges went nowhere.
Democrats and voting rights groups say the law will harm historically disenfranchised communities by making it harder for poorer Georgians to vote. Left-leaning organizations have filed three separate lawsuits asking federal judges to declare the law an unconstitutional violation of the Voting Rights Act.
Like most other major Georgia corporations, Delta and Coca-Cola earlier this month issued carefully worded statements calling for “fair” and “secure” elections but did not voice opposition to the legislation. After the law was signed last week, Delta issued a statement Friday that appeared to defend it because it was less restrictive than earlier versions.
On Wednesday, the corporate leaders said they were more forceful behind the scenes. Quincey said Coca-Cola has “always opposed” the legislation, and will speak out more publicly now. And Bastian wrote that the company worked quietly “to try and remove some of the most egregious measures from the bill.”
“After having time to now fully understand all that is in the bill, coupled with discussions with leaders and employees in the Black community, it’s evident that the bill includes provisions that will make it harder for many underrepresented voters, particularly Black voters, to exercise their constitutional right to elect their representatives. That is wrong,” Bastian wrote in the memo to employees.
“The entire rationale for this bill was based on a lie: that there was widespread voter fraud in Georgia in the 2020 elections. This is simply not true. Unfortunately, that excuse is being used in states across the nation that are attempting to pass similar legislation to restrict voting rights,” he added.
The stance could lead to some punishing retribution to Delta, which has been on the wrong side of the wrath of Georgia Republicans before.
The airline, Georgia’s largest private employer, enraged conservatives by ending a group discount for the National Rifle Association in 2018 That prompted then-Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle to block a lucrative tax break for the airline. The $35 million annual incentive was later revived, though it strained the relationship between corporate executives and state Republicans.
Delta, Coca-Cola and other Georgia-based corporate titans rallied against a “religious liberty” measure in 2016 that critics said was discriminatory toward the state’s LGBTQ community. Then-Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed the measure days after it passed.
And the state Legislature punished Delta in 2015 after the company’s then-chief executive urged lawmakers not to be “chickens” about raising the gasoline tax to finance infrastructure improvements.
While Democrats and voting rights groups applauded the corporate opposition to the elections overhaul, many also wondered why the company waited until after the measure was signed into law to openly criticize it.
Nse Ufot, of the New Georgia Project voting registration group, called on the airline to “use your power and influence” to advocate for a federal elections law that would pre-empt the Georgia measure.
“Also, you must use your seat at the table to stop anti-voting bills like SB 202 from becoming law in other states where the freedom to vote is directly under attack, such as Arizona, Texas, Florida and Michigan,” she said. “These are our best chances to protect voting rights nationwide.”
Delta has about 30,000 employees based in Georgia, most of whom live in metro Atlanta, which voted Democratic in the last elections.
“I know this result in Georgia has caused frustration, anger and pain for many members of our Delta family. I commit to you that as we move forward, Delta will do everything in our power to hear and protect your voice and your rights, both in Georgia and nationwide,” Bastian wrote in the memo.
